


Pop-pop and Grumpy

by Leahelisabeth (fortheloveofcamelot)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Babysitting, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, Future Fic, Grandparents & Grandchildren, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 19:19:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17167832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortheloveofcamelot/pseuds/Leahelisabeth
Summary: Jack and Bitty grow old together. Their family grows too.





	Pop-pop and Grumpy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ackermom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ackermom/gifts).



The doorbell brought him out of a deep sleep. Bitty fumbled for his phone, the last vestiges of sleep blown away by panic when he saw the three missed calls and seventeen missed texts in his notifications.

“Jack, Jack, wake up!”He turned and shook the man lying beside him in the bed.

“Bud, what’s wrong?” Jack yawned, rolling over and slinging his arm over Bitty’s waist.

“Mark has been trying to call for half an hour and I just heard the doorbell,” Bitty said, already shoving Jack’s arm off and rolling out of bed. He groaned as his back protested the quick movement and it took him far too long to pull on his robe and rush toward the door.

He was met with the harried gaze of his son-in-law, carrying a blanket wrapped bundle in his arms.. “Sorry to wake you,” he said with a touch of sheepishness.

“Of course not, honey,” Bitty took the bundle out of Mark’s arms and peeled back the top to reveal the sleeping face of his eighteen month old grandson. “I’m sorry we didn’t get your messages earlier. You musta been freaking out.”

Mark chuckled, a little embarrassed. “I’m holding it together way better this time.”

“Well, I should hope so,” Bitty teased gently. “Did you drop Nora off already or is she in the car?”

“In the car,” Mark blushed. “She said it doesn’t feel urgent yet. And she didn’t want to be at the hospital alone while I dropped Bobby off.”

Jack finally joined Bitty at the door. “It’s time?” he asked.

Mark nodded. Eric turned and handed Bobby to Jack. “I’m just going to walk you out,” he said to Mark, pulling on his winter boots and his coat.

Nora looked fine. If Bitty hadn’t known her so well, he wouldn’t have noticed the fine lines around her mouth as she tried to keep the pain off her face.

“I can still come with you,” he said.

“No, you stay here and enjoy the day with Bobby. I think he could use the one on one time. Mark and I have this,” Nora grabbed Bitty’s hand. “We’ll keep you in the loop. Tell papa he doesn’t need to worry so much.”

“Alright, sweetpea. But you call us if you need anything, understand?” Bitty gripped her hand back tight and kissed her forehead before joining Jack and Bobby on the porch. He tucked himself into Jack’s side, soaking in the warmth. Even that little trip out to the car had let the cold into his old bones.

“Come back to bed,” Jack murmured. “It’s still early.”

“Lord, like I’m going to sleep at a time like this,” Bitty argued but he followed Jack back to the bedroom anyway. Jack settled a still sleeping Bobby in the middle of their bed and then helped Bitty get out of his winter things and pulled him into the bed.

“Just humour me,” Jack said when Bitty protested. “Come cuddle for a bit and if that doesn’t work, you can get up and do whatever you like.”

Bitty sighed and snuggled up. Bobby’s breathing was even and Jack’s arms were warm about them both and it wasn’t long before he drifted off to sleep.

He was awoken rather rudely a few hours later by a tiny finger poking at his face. “Pop-pop, up time,” A little voice loudly whispered in his ear.

Bitty groaned and opened his eyes to see his grandson kneeling by his head, his curly blond hair half sticking up from sleep. “Why is it that every time you sleep over, you always wake me up first?”

“Want pantates,” Bobby grinned before leaning forward and laying a very sloppy kiss on Bitty’s cheek.

Bitty pushed himself up and grabbed Bobby into a big hug. “Oh you do, do you. Fine, I’ll make pancakes. I’ll even put chocolate chips in them if you do a very special job for me.”

“Yay! I help!” Bobby shouted.

Bitty smirked at his husband, who was currently doing his best to pretend he was asleep. “You have to wake up Grumpy and help him find all the best strawberries and blueberries to put on the pancakes. Can you do that?”

Bobby nodded excitedly and flopped over onto Jack. “Grumpy! Up time! Help Pop-pop!”

Jack opened his eyes and glared fondly at Bitty. He rolled out of bed and hoisted Bobby onto his shoulder. “We better get to it,” he said. “Pancakes are serious business.”

Bitty followed both of them to the kitchen and pulled out all the ingredients for pancakes. Jack grabbed the fruit from the fridge and placed the plastic carton in front of Bobby. The boy very carefully inspected each berry before placing it in front of Jack to be sliced.

It barely took any thought to mix up the pancake batter so Bitty finished that and set it aside to sit for a minute while he checked his phone for news.

“Nothing yet,” he said to Jack, sighing.

“It’s only been a couple hours,” Jack replied. “I would be surprised if we were hearing anything yet.”

Bitty nodded and turned to the griddle and started pouring perfect circles on the sizzling hot surface.

Bobby looked up from his fruit inspecting to shout, “Mittey Mouse, pease!”

“Of course, how could I forget?” Bitty said, swiftly adding ears onto the last pancake he had poured.

Jack pushed the bowl of cut berries to the middle of the table and stood to grab plates. “Bobby, do you want to put the forks on the table for me?” he asked.

“Yep,” Bobby said. Jack handed him the forks and Bobby followed Jack around the table, carefully placing a fork by each plate. When he finished that, he made a beeline for Bitty and grabbed him by the leg. “Pantates done, Pop-pop?” he asked.

Just about, sweet pea,” Bitty said, flipping the last few over to cook the other side.

“Baby eats pantates?” Bobby asked after they were all sitting around the table.

“Not yet.” Jack cut up Bobby’s pancake and poured syrup over it. “But I’m sure when she’s as big as you, she’ll love them.”

“I’ll share Mittey Mouse pantates,” Bobby promised solemnly.

“My sweet little angel,” Bitty said, “of course you will.”

“I not little angel, I big brother!” Bobby insisted.

Jack laughed, his mouth stuffed with pancakes.

After breakfast, Jack started on the dishes while Bitty cleared the table and Bobby made a beeline for the living room.

“For me?” Bobby asked loudly from the other room.

Bitty and Jack glanced at each other and Bitty bolted for the living room and caught Bobby just as he was tearing the paper off the corner of one of the brightly wrapped presents under the tree.

“You little munchkin,” Bitty said as he pulled Bobby up in his arms. “It isn’t Christmas yet.”

“Open one?” Bobby bargained.

“Don’t you want to wait to open your presents with Mommy, Daddy, and your new sister?” Bitty asked, snuggling the boy close.

“No,” Bobby said, squirming to get out of Bitty’s arms. “Open now.”

“I think I’ve got a better idea,” Bitty said. Bobby’s lip pouted and tears threatened in his eyes. “I haven’t made Grumpy any of his favourite Christmas cookies yet because I need a big boy helper to do it properly. Do you know any big boys who might be interested in helping me?”

“I big boy!” Bobby said. “I help.”

“You will?” Bitty kissed his cheek. “Thank you. Grumpy will be very happy.”

Bobby finally managed to squirm out of Bitty’s arms and he took off running for the kitchen. “Tooties, Grumpy!” he shouted when he reached the doorway.

“Cookies!” Jack rubbed his hands dry on his hands and leaned down to high five Bobby. “Are you making Pop-pop’s special maple sugar cookies?”

“Yeah!” Bobby yelled. Jack winced at the volume but grinned at the enthusiasm.

Bitty pulled down his baking dishes once more and set them up on the table with the ingredients. He lifted Bobby to stand on one of the chairs and took up position behind him. He helped Bobby measure and add the ingredients and mix the dough while Bobby narrated their every action. 

Then Bobby snuggled on Jack’s lap for the duration of the movie “Elf” while the dough was chilling in the refrigerator.

Bitty rolled out the dough quickly just as Santa Claus’ sleigh received the burst of Christmas spirit it needed to fly. Bitty held back a tear. No matter how many times he saw that movie, the end always got him.

By the time Bobby was ready to run again, Bitty had the dough all rolled out and the cookie cutters ready so they could cut out all the cookies. Bitty tried to get an even mix of santas, reindeer, snowflakes, and Christmas trees while Bobby used his favourite hockey jersey cookie cutter.

Bitty slid a few trays into each of his dual ovens and Bobby sat on the floor in front of the lower one to watch the cookies bake.

“Too long,” he complained after a few minutes and he wandered off to play in the little play area that Jack had set up in the office for him.

“Did you get any news yet?” Bitty asked.

“Last I heard, she was 8 cm dilated. Everything is progressing just fine,” Jack wrapped an arm around Bitty’s waist and pulled him tight to his side, dropping a quick kiss on his forehead.

:Bitty sighed. “I sure do hate all this waiting.”

“I know, _mon coeur_ , me too. But she’s going to be fine,” Jack reassured him.

Bobby was fairly well occupied with a couple of old Falconers action figures from the toybox. He walked around on his knees while making them skate on the carpet. “Shoot! Score!" He shouted. 

Bitty stood there in Jack's arms until they were interrupted by beeping from the kitchen. 

Jack kissed Bitty on the forehead again. “You go take care of that. I'll occupy the munchkin." 

Bitty went for his cookies but not before he smiled fondly at Jack, lowering himself carefully to the floor and accepting his own action figure from Bobby to join in the hockey game. 

Bitty set the cookies to cool and checked his phone. He had the same updates as Jack but nothing since the text about 8 cm. He took a deep breath and tried to release his worry. When that didn't work, he turned back to the stove and started making soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. 

Bobby was somewhat subdued over lunch, tied out from his eventful morning. He managed only a few bites before he started nodding off in his tomato soup. 

“Maybe we should just put him down for an N-A-P," Bitty murmured to Jack. 

“I not tired," Bobby forced himself to take a few more bites before his head started drooping again. 

“I think Grumpy wants to watch another movie," Bitty said. “Do you want to go with him?" 

Bobby nodded sleepily. “Grinch?" 

Jack pulled Bobby up into his arms. Bobby snuggled into his chest immediately, his eyes already closing. Jack sat on the couch and cued the movie. Bitty followed him with the food and they sat and watched the movie quietly as Bobby fell asleep. 

Near the end of the movie, Bitty felt his pocket start to vibrate. He leapt up and immediately regretted it as his knees popped. He and Jack shared excited looks as Bitty went into the kitchen to take the call.

“She's here," Mark said. 

“Nora?" Bitty asked.

“She's fine. They're both fine. No complications," Mark assured him. 

“Thank the Lord," Bitty said, closing his eyes against a rush of tears. “When can we see them?" 

“Soon," Mark said. “They're just getting settled in the room now." 

“Bobby just went down for a nap. We'll come when he wakes up," Bitty promised. 

He said goodbye, hung up the phone, and went back into the living room to snuggle into Jack's side. “I guess now you're Grumpier," he said.

“Ugh, that was bad, Bud," Jack rolled his eyes and groaned. 

“You love me and my sense of humor," Bitty said, sticking his tongue out at Jack. 

“It sure is consistent," Jack chirped. “Consistently bad." 

“Oh hush, you just wish you'd thought of it yourself," Bitty shot back. 

Bobby stirred a little on Jack's lap and they instantly shut their mouths to keep from waking him. 

“We'll go when Bobby wakes up," Bitty whispered. 

“Can we wake Bobby up now?" Jack pleaded. 

“You want to take this boy to a hospital insufficiently napped? Are you insane?" Bitty asked. 

“Fine," Jack sighed. “But you can't put anything in the oven in case he wakes up while you're baking and it keeps us from going to meet our new granddaughter." 

Bitty rolled his eyes but snuggled into Jack's warmth without protest. 

In the end, it didn't really take long before they were matching into the hotel room with a container of maple sugar cookies for every doctor and nurse involved even peripherally in the delivery. 

The moment he caught sight of his mother, Bobby ran to her. The adults in the room all stepped forward to stop him from tackle hugging her and the precious bundle in her arms. They didn't need to worry in the end. Bobby stopped short, his mouth open.

“Baby here?" He asked. 

“Bobby," Nora said, “meet your new sister, Eva Suzanne." 

“Vee," Bobby said in awe. He carefully climbed up on the bed beside his mother and knelt by the baby's head. He stroked her hair with soft hands and beamed up at his grandparents. 

Pop-pop, Grumpy! Look!” Bobby said, reaching out for them. 

And Bitty looked, holding his husband's hand and feeling so incredibly thankful for everything in his life that brought him to this place, with his husband at his side, his daughter healthy and safe, and his brand new grandchild in her mother's arms. Bitty couldn't stop grinning.


End file.
